Agnus


 * "Humans, they are but stubborn and foolish. It takes a a journey to hell for them to accept and praise their God!" — Agnus, Devil May Cry 4

Agnus is the chief technology researcher and alchemist of the Holy Knights. He develops demon-eradicating weapons for the Holy Knights such as the iconic sword worn by all of the Knights, like Credo. He seems to be introverted and workaholic, rarely showing up in any event. Because of this, only few people of the cult know about him. He is almost always in a hunched position and has a speech impediment that causes him to stutter from time to time, usually when he is angered. He created the Bianco Angelos, Gladii, Cutlasses, and Basilisks. He often uses the Gladius, Cutlass, and Basilisk demons as weapons. Agnus was used by Sanctus to kidnap Credo's sister Kyrie. He later opens the true Hell Gate with the Yamato. When Dante comes to claim the sword, they first act out a mocking play before engaging in battle. Ultimately Agnus is left puzzled at why his demon form was still inferior to Dante. Dante says that demons are missing something that humans have. Agnus becomes puzzled begging for Dante to reveal the weakness. Dante destroys the research notes making Agnus panic. Afterwards, Agnus is killed by Dante.

Angelo Agnus the One-eyed Dark Knight


Agnus possess a demon form, referred to as the 'One-eyed Dark Knight' or Angelo Agnus, just like Credo. It is reminiscent of a beetle, with shells over a pair of insectoid wings and beetle-like legs. The one eyed part of his title comes from a large red spot on his face in place of his left eye, where his monocle would be in human form.

Creations
The Gladius is an artificial demon created by Agnus through magically cross-breeding a sword with a reptile. It is capable of flight, and can transform its entire body into a bladed weapon able to be wielded by others. If damaged, it will drop to the ground in its weapon form, where it can be picked up and thrown at a locked-on enemy using Nero's Buster. Agnus wields Gladius's both in his human and Angelo Agnus forms, and his own Buster moment involves being impaled with the demons. Unlike the Cutlass and the Basilisk, Agnus must consume a small amount of his vitality in order to summon these demons, although he is still capable of summoning even if he does not have the required vitality to do so. Wielding Gladius' is the most effective method of damaging the Containment Room, although normal attacks and gunfire may also be used.



The Cutlass is an artificial demon created by Agnus through magically cross-breeding a sword and a fish. Its dorsal fin, an incredibly sharp blade, allows it to cut through earth, stone, and metal, effectively allowing it to swim through solid land. They attack by diving out of the ceiling or floor, but if damaged they will remain knocked out on the floor. Agnus wields a Cutlass in his Angelo Agnus form.

The Basilisk is an artificial demon created by Agnus through magically cross-breeding a gun and a dog. It is able to fire its fiery skull from its body like a bullet, and then regenerate a new one. Agnus is able to summon six Basilisks at a time and use them like an artillery while in his Angelo Agnus form.



The Bianco Angelo (lit. "White Angel" in Italian) is an artificial demon developed by Agnus. Wearing armor bearing the crest of the Order of the Sword and made from fragments of Nelo Angelo, this hollow shell is animated by the souls of humans and demons that have been captured by Agnus. The Bianco Angelo carries a lance with a throttle system similar to the Red Queen, and a shield which it can transform into wings with which to fly. The Bianco Angelo have no real self, and follow the Order's commands with mechanical precision. The Bianco Angelo is first introduced within the Fortuna Castle Library, where Nero initially believes it to be an ally until it attacks. They are used by Sanctus as foot-soldiers after his Ascension ceremony. After awakening The Savior, Sanctus has demons released from the true Hell Gate, and then sends the Angelos and The Savior to slay them in order to prove them to the townspeople.



The Alto Angelo (lit. "High Angel" in Italian) is a knight of the Order of the Sword who has become a demon through the Ascension ceremony, and has donned the armor of the Bianco Angelo in order to lead them in battle. . Despite this, it still wields a standard Order sword, albeit much larger. It is able to command the Bianco Angelos to attack in formation, and can empower them with greater strength and the ability to jointly form a massive sphere of energy. As such, they commonly appear with several Bianco Angelos. After his Ascension ceremony, Sanctus acts as an Alto Angelo, until Dante destroys the armor and it is revealed that Sanctus's true body lies within the Savior.

Background
The Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God" in Latin; a traditional title for Jesus Christ) is the fifth part of the Catholic Ordinary of the Mass. It is traditionally sung in Latin.

Trivia

 * The research notes that Agnus is always carrying with him have the heading "Nero = Dante ???". Because he already has these notes before he meets Nero for the first time in Mission 6, it is possible that he was studying Nero from a distance previously.  However, this is somewhat inconsistent with his reaction during said Mission, in which he expresses surprise at Nero wielding demonic power.